Restoration
by Nova.8
Summary: Ginny smiled enigmatically at Draco Malfoy, enjoying his confounded state. "This is the first time we're meeting, Mister Malfoy. Well, for me at least. You see, while our paths have crossed in the past and you may remember me from school … and I might have heard countless of stories about you and what you were like as a boy – you're a stranger to me."
1. Chapter 1

**Restoration**

 _*noun:_

 _the action of returning something to a former owner, place or condition …_

 _ **Chapter One**_

 **GINNY** Weasley scrunched up her button nose in distaste as she slapped down the copy of the Daily Prophet she had been reading onto her large, oak desk. Her slender fingers gripped the edge of the expensive wood and her small hands pushed forward. Rising from her plush, leather chair the red head witch made her way towards her wide window which sat behind her desk like a moving painting. It was her favourite place in her opulent but tasteful office.

Taking a seat on the thick window ledge, Ginny looked over Diagon Alley, enjoying the view of the snowy white wizarding bank, Gringotts. Grey clouds loomed over the imposing dragon statue that sat atop the multi-storeyed building, which shadowed the little shops around it. Birds soared around the marble making the sight picturesque and calming for Ginny. She leaned her head on the cool glass with a relaxed sigh but it did not take long for Ginny's mind to wander back to the less than flattering article that had been published about her today.

There was only one word that Ginny had become fixated on in the five hundred and fifty-two words of trash that had been printed about her today. Surprisingly it was not one of the bold phrases from the revealing headline, but a six letter description that had been a direct quote from her ex boyfriend Alistair Morgan.

 _Frigid._

The word had jumped out of the newspaper, flashing neon in front of Ginny's bright brown eyes until she had almost felt dizzy with revulsion. Of course Ginny knew that Al was bitter over their split, he had not been ready to end things between them, but after nine months of dating it had become painfully obvious to Ginny that she had given up on their relationship for quite a while before she had officially called it quits.

She had not expected for Al to lash out in such a public and mean way though. Maybe it was naïve of her to think so, or maybe there were sides to her former boyfriend that she wasn't privy to but regardless of that, it still stung though. To think that someone she had cared about would go so far in his misery as to give out an exclusive interview about her and their time together, when he knew how much her privacy meant to her, made Ginny reluctant to face what that said about her choice in partners. Ginny was just grateful that she had not admitted how terrified she really was of sex to Al, or the entire wizarding world, including her family, would have become privy to some cringe-worthy information.

In truth, Ginny could not even explain to herself why she, an attractive and healthy young witch, at twenty-six, was still a virgin. The Prophet had latched onto Al's claims though, wildly speculating that her frigidity was the reason why the famous Harry Potter had called off their engagement in 2001. No one besides her family and closest friends knew that it was actually Ginny who had broken up with Harry though.

She had never cared about the tripe the wizarding rags published and so Ginny had not been interested in clearing up the misconceptions about her private affairs, even when Harry had been adamant about giving out his own press release. She hadn't been bothered about the views of the wizarding public then and she certainly could not care less about them now.

It was only her family and friends who she hated torturing because she knew that an insult to her was a personal insult to them as well. It made them want to bludgeon anyone who sullied her name and while she appreciated their thoughtfulness, it often made her feel undermined. Fragile. Ginny was old enough to handle her own affairs now, in her own way.

In a sense Ginny also felt guilty about the rubbish the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly wrote about her. She knew that her reluctance to open up about her personal life was partly why the media was so desperate to publish stories about her, hoping to manipulate her into finally speaking up. After all, a one-on-one interview with the renowned, successful and beautiful Restorer, Ginny Weasley would boost anyone's career. Her last name was incentive enough to sell newspapers and magazines, but combined with her romantic association with Harry Potter and her family's affiliation with Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt, Ginny was a public figure who intrigued people.

Ginny sighed. She would not be bullied or bribed into going against what she believed in, that was the easy way out. Moving her head away from the glass to glance back at the offending newspaper on her desk, she plucked out her wand from inside her silk robes and aimed it determinedly at the hateful material.

"Evanesco." She whispered softly and felt a small sense of relief when the offending newspaper vanished from her sight.

After almost half and hour of reflection and how best she would handle this new hindrance when it came to dealing with the doubts of new and existing clients alike, Ginny watched as a familiar barn owl flew straight towards her, flapping its wings in mid-air outside the closed window. She leaned back and slid the glass up. The frosty wind stung her cheeks but she took the letter from the bird's beak and petted it in thanks.

Being very familiar with Harry's owl, the bird affectionately rubbed its head against her fingers before flying off. Ginny closed the window before sitting back comfortably. She turned the letter around in her hand a few times without opening it. A fond but rueful smile crossed her full lips as she saw her name in Harry's untidy scrawl.

Ginny knew exactly why Harry was writing to her. He had obviously seen that stupid article and his protective instincts had kicked in. With a heavy sigh Ginny got up from her favourite spot in her office and walked towards her desk. She tossed the sealed envelope into one of her desk drawers, watching as it landed haphazardly inside the wooden box. She was not in the mood to read the predictable letter right now.

Harry's comforting words, and probably an earnest request to take her out to dinner for the purpose of cheering her up, would only serve to make Ginny feel guilty. Harry's kindness and unrequited love for her left her feeling like a complete cow more often than not because she was unable to return his sentiments. After the War, it had been easy to kiss Harry, hug him, hold him and pretend that she felt something close to desire for him. There was a sense of familiarity about the raven haired wizard that instinctively made Ginny feel safe and secure in his presence. At the time, struggling with her memory loss, Ginny had needed that reassuring warmth to heal.

Her mother had also drummed it into Ginny's head that she had been in love with her brother's best friend since she had met Harry. Her family's not so subtle matchmaking attempts had actually proven to be useful with regaining some of her lost memories though, because the more time Ginny had spent with Harry the more memories she had regained of him. She had seen herself with Harry, sitting by the Black Lake outside of the Hogwarts castle, pale sunlight illuminating their embracing figures as if shedding light into the darkness of her mind where all her lost memories were hidden.

Upon her request, Harry had told Ginny about how they had become a couple. Harry's honest nostalgia had struck a chord of real emotion in Ginny for the first time since she had left St Mungos. The witch had then experienced a few flashbacks about their past, which at the time had been like solid proof, something more than unrecognisable words, for a struggling Ginny to hold on to. However, the slow and sporadic return of vague memories had not been enough to fully settle a disorientated Ginny. She had been lost in an innate sense of emptiness which had made it difficult for her to connect with her memories on an emotional level, and as a result Ginny had found it difficult to connect with her loved ones.

She had felt as if she had been unwillingly thrown down a Pensieve, caught in the midst of memories which did not belonged to her. It had been like watching the life of someone else, like reading a book where you became attached enough to the character to empathise with them but forgot the emotions the moment the book was closed. She had felt as if they weren't her feelings, like she was simply sympathising with someone else. Ginny had felt like an outsider in her own body. However, as the time had passed she had grown more comfortable with the continuous presence of her family and friends. It had helped that everyone who had been a part of her life were easy to care for all over again. They were good people, honest and kind. And after a while Ginny had learned to trust her memories, trying to draw from the emotions they had showed her she had once felt.

It had not always been an easy task though. There were times when she had had no choice but to fake sentiments, which she still did on occasion, because Ginny would meet someone who looked at her with such open affection while she felt like they were a stranger to her. She had also hated the way her memory loss had hurt people and strained relationships, making her feel like she was to be blamed for not being able to remember her loved ones. And so Ginny had tried her best to be sympathetic to their emotions without driving herself crazy in the process. In the end, after spending ten years with the people who had always been a part of her life, things hadn't turned out so bad after all. She was fortunate that those who surrounded her were thoughtful and understanding people who seemed to love her unconditionally.

However, as much as it was a blessing, it could also be a curse at times. Like with Harry. Ginny knew that he hadn't given up hope on her and sometimes she felt like she was letting him down by not giving him another chance.

Ginny had appreciated her relationship with Harry. He had been sweet, understanding and patient with her at a time when she had been the one putting the most strain on herself to remember who she had been. He hadn't pressured her or made her feel like she needed to be the old Ginny. He had looked at her adoringly and Ginny had found it refreshing since the others who saw her, expected her to remember them and interact with them the way she used to. They had wanted her to be someone she couldn't remember ever being.

However, as the days crept into years and Ginny began remembering more and more of Harry, she had started to wonder if maybe her mother had misinterpreted her childish crush. What if Ginny had simply been in love with the idea of the great hero Harry Potter but only just infatuated with the boy himself?

Those doubts had only started to grow every single time Harry had tried to initiate intimacy with her. Ginny would immediately tense at his efforts and revulsion would set in, as if she were doing something wrong. The undemanding touches that had turned into more intimate caresses had caused Ginny sudden bouts of nausea instead of arousal, making her unable to enjoy even his kisses any longer.

While Harry had not shown her his frustration in the least, being gallantly patient, Ginny could tell that she had confused him. Her body's rejection of him, which she had found continuously difficult to hide, had started to hurt him and he had become unhappy in their relationship. Ginny had not known much about her old self, but the person she had been in that moment knew without a doubt that she did not want to be the reason for someone else's unhappiness.

So doing what was best for the both of them, much to the disappointment of her family and friends, Ginny had ended her three year relationship with Harry. He had tried to persuade Ginny to give him another chance, but his reasons had only served to water the seed of doubt in Ginny's mind – maybe Harry too had been looking for the old her. The one she had lost during the War. It was as if Harry believed that her love for him had also been forgotten and would one day return, just like most of her memories had. But emotions weren't something you remembered or forgot, it was something you felt and Ginny couldn't feel passion or desire for Harry no matter how hard she willed herself to. With that thought taking root and growing in her conflicted mind, Ginny had never been able to go back to him. Instead she had embraced dating wizards who she had never met before.

Now though, Ginny couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe Al was right. Was she frigid? A few years after Harry, Ginny had dated an acquaintance at the time, Eoin Grock. However, after a year of enjoyable dates, Ginny had not been able to sleep with him either.

Al had been the worst though. He had pulled out all the stops, tried to seduce Ginny in every manner possible that eventually it had set her teeth on edge. In reality she was glad to be shot of him and his dramatic displays of affection.

Ginny's thoughts were disturbed by a knock on the double doors of her office. She turned towards the sound, certain that her heart had missed a beat as she stood up straighter and gripped the back of her chair. Glancing at the elegant, gold watch on her small wrist Ginny knew exactly why there was a knock on her door at this time. Steadying her voice and ridding it of any nervousness that might linger Ginny cleared her throat.

"Come in." The red head called out professionally.

One of the light coloured, wooden doors opened and Amelia Bell poked her brown head through the gap. "Miss Weasley, Mister Malfoy is here to see you."

Ginny took in a steadying breath and nodded her head, idly touching the side of her hair to make sure her chignon was still in place and no rebellious strands had made their way out of its hold. While the old Ginny had clearly been more casual with her dressing, having mostly worn clothes that had been hand me downs from her six older brothers, _she_ preferred to take more care in a her dressing. Ginny's outfits nowadays were mostly reserved but always stylish and professional. She wore them with an elegance and grace that endeared her to designers and socialites alike.

Maybe her new style of dressing was a façade she presented for her family, to subtly remind them to stop expecting her to be someone she could no longer remember being. Or maybe it was a shell that she hid her vulnerable self behind because it scared her to not know who she really was. For so long she had been terribly unsure of herself as a person, only having the ideas of others to rely on, her own memories faded and washed out, that she had fashioned herself into someone who she thought she should be. A lady. Ginny had recreated herself.

"Send him in, Lia. Thanks." Ginny watched as her efficient assistant smiled her pretty smile and closed the door again.

A moment later the door was pushed inwards. Amelia waved her hand inside and Ginny's brown eyes narrowed as a tall figure walked the plush, white carpets of her office.

Draco Malfoy's gait was confident, poised. He was clearly very self-assured in his own skin and he had no problem looking down his aristocratic nose at her. His features seemed displeased that he was here, in her office. His full lips were set in a grim line.

Ginny tilted her head to the side slightly, just for a moment. She simply wanted to take in his presence, grasp a measure of the wizard she was meeting for the very first time. Then Ginny quickly composed herself and stepped out from behind her large desk to greet him.

Ginny immediately wished that she had stayed behind her desk, using the large chunk of wood as protection, because the air surrounding Draco Malfoy was thick with animosity, proving that there was indeed a long and feuding history between her family and his. However, from what she had gathered, Ginny's interactions with Draco Malfoy had been passing at most. Therefore, she was hoping that he could look past her last name to actually work with her.

"Mister Malfoy, I'm so glad that you could make it." Ginny used her cool but charming professional voice, the husky undertone always aided her with buttering up clients. The red head offered him a small hand and engaging smile.

Draco Malfoy seemed inclined to do his best to be difficult though. "Weasley." He said sourly and Ginny could have sworn she had heard him spit her name out many times before.

He looked at her hand with an unpleasant sneer and the appendage jerked awkwardly before falling disappointedly to her side. Ginny hesitantly stepped back, feeling like a chick trying to befriend a dragon.

"Please, take a seat." Ginny nervously gestured towards the opposite side of her desk before she hurriedly made her way towards her own chair.

Once she sat down in the expensive leather of her familiar chair, Ginny was instantly comforted and some of her confidence returned to her. Ginny had done this countless of times before. She could convince wizards to buy dry ice in winter if she wanted to.

Draco Malfoy however stood still, watching her with open irritation. "I would rather not." He said coldly. "Look, Weasley, the only reason I'm meeting with you today is because I've grown tired of you pestering me for the last five months."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at this. "You've come all this way to tell me you're not interested?" She injected as much disbelief as she could to make it sound like a challenge to prove himself and not as condescension to him having given in to her requests.

"Yes." He replied shortly.

Ginny bit her lip when she realised that that was all the blonde was going to say on the matter. "Why?" She asked carefully. She was equally simple in her tone.

This seemed to irritate Draco Malfoy. "Weasley, don't for a second think that I do not know what you're up to here. I am a highly successful magnate, much higher up on the gold market than you are."

Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "It just seems a little far fetched that you would come all this way from Norway just to tell me that you're not interested in my business proposal."

"If my owls had gotten through that thick skull of yours, then I wouldn't need to be here. However, I was in the country for business and that is why I agreed to meeting you today." Draco Malfoy griped. He sounded angry. Did he really dislike her that much?

"If my owls have not convinced you of what a beneficial proposition I am offering you, Mister Malfoy, then it is you who needs to question the density of your skull." Ginny bit her tongue the moment the gibe had left her mouth.

Ginny was not sure where such a forward taunt had come from, considering she normally dealt with difficult clients in a much more patient and professional tone than she did everyone else in her life.

If Ginny expected for her comment to anger Draco Malfoy however, she was mistaken. For the first time since he had entered her office, the stoic wizard showed another emotion besides disdain and annoyance at her. He smirked. The grey of his cold eyes flashed with amusement for just a second before it vanished to be replaced by indifference. There was no doubt in Ginny's mind that he was much more adept at masking his emotions than she was.

"Ah, beneath those expensive dress robes and prim attitude the uncivilized, brazen, Weasley wench lurks." This time his voice was a mocking drawl and Ginny _knew_ this tone.

She felt her cheeks, of its own accord, turn red at the insult and Ginny was not sure why the wizard in front of her was capable of getting her wand in a knot. "You seem to have a predisposed opinion of me, Mister Malfoy."

At this Draco Malfoy arched a pale blonde eyebrow in her direction. He took a stealthy step forward, looming over her desk and Ginny wished he would bloody well sit down. His presence was intimidating enough from all his undisguised hostility, without making her feel like he was disciplining an errant child.

"Weasley, I know you want my money, but all this _mister_ Malfoy crap and professionalism is grating on my nerves. It's bad enough that I'm in the same room as you, but I can't bear to be polite to you as well." Draco Malfoy said.

Ginny eyed him sceptically but after a while she could tell that he was actually very serious. "I see that." She said dryly.

When the Weasleys spoke of the Malfoys who had fled Britain after being acquitted for their War crimes, they always spoke about the family of three with open contempt. She had heard the stories of Draco Malfoy being a cowardly bully who had taken great pleasure in tormenting Harry, Ron, Hermione and her included amongst others, but she could not remember anything about the blonde man standing before her now.

He was a stranger to her. All Ginny knew about Draco Malfoy was what she had researched about him. Which was mostly what he did now, unbothered to delve into his history. Ginny's interests focused on what he had achieved in the wizarding world, nationally and internationally, since he had left Britain. Personally she had no interest in Draco Malfoy as anything but a client, so if he had been condoned for his part in the War, and was no longer a Death Eater, then who he used to be did not bother Ginny in the least.

According to Ginny's memories, she had never met Draco Malfoy before today. She had also always been drawn to his latest success stories and his recent acquisitions, most of which made her salivate with the desire to work in those buildings he had a stake in. However, she had not been successful or renowned enough to approach him before. Until now that was.

For the last seven years, Ginny had painstakingly built a name for herself, and if her impressive reputation had finally brought Draco Malfoy into her office, then she knew she really was successful. Even if he was telling her that he did not want to work with her, she knew that she could convince him to change his mind. Firstly she needed to set him straight though.

"The thing is, mister Malfoy, that I do not have the same problem as you do." Ginny said and she was pleased to see a flash of confusion whirr in his steel coloured eyes.

"Of course you wouldn't now. You stand to gain too much from this deal to be anything but nice to me." He hid his uncertainty with arrogance.

"No." Ginny shook her red head before looking up candidly at Draco Malfoy. Her brown eyes met his contemptuous gaze steadily. "I am not predisposed to hating you, Mister Malfoy, because I don't remember you at all."

This time a severe frown marred his pale forehead and Ginny could not help but feel a buzz of satisfaction at throwing him for a loop. "Excuse me?"

Ginny smiled enigmatically at Draco Malfoy, enjoying his confounded state. "This is the first time we're meeting, Mister Malfoy. Well, for me at least. You see, while our paths have crossed in the past and you may remember me from school … and I might have heard countless of stories about you and what you were like as a boy – you're a stranger to me."

"Is this some sort of a ploy to get me to accept your proposal, Weasley?" The blonde asked suspiciously, his frown only deepening in response.

Ginny shook her head again. Seeing that he had a deep lack of trust for her, she opened a drawer that sat under her large desk. Pulling out a red file Ginny tossed it towards Draco Malfoy.

"Go on." Ginny said when he made no move to take it, still staring at her. His grey eyes were piercing and Ginny wondered if he was trying to use Legilimency on her. "Read it."

Draco gave her another sceptical look before reluctantly reaching for the file. He flipped it open. Ginny watched as his eyes roved over the words written there. She knew the first page in that file was her medical history from St Mungos, proving that during the final battle at Hogwarts, Ginny had not ended up with a missing limb or physical scars, like most people had, but her entire mind had been damaged. She had lost all of her memories.

She had woken up and not remembered who she was, where she had come from and what she was doing in a bed in a strange place surrounded by so many people with red hair. The shock had sent her into a coma that she had not emerged from for months afterwards. Ginny had been fortunate to regain consciousness a second time around, and while it had not been any less terrifying, waking up to only a kind Healer at her bedside had ensured she had remained awake.

Slowly she had been reintroduced to her family and friends and surprisingly meeting them all had conjured up memories about them as well. It had been a slow and painful process. Ginny had suffered from depression, headaches, nausea and even bouts of uncontrollable rage for well over a year before she had felt any sense of normalcy.

"Weasley." Draco Malfoy said softly, as if he was at a loss for words. Somehow Ginny knew that this was a rarity. He sat down almost unthinkingly on her desk, long legs becoming visible as his black robes parted at the centre.

That close to him Ginny could smell a scent of crisp cotton and sultry spice and she inadvertently breathed in the clashing scents, thinking that it was by no means unpleasant. Immediately the fragrance caused a spike of pain at the base of her temples but the witch ignored it. She did know this man, she reminded herself. She just could not remember him. Yet. Spending time with him would change that and she would have to be prepared for the side effects that came with it. Ginny had ten years worth of experience with the pain returning memories caused; she would not let the sensations of her recollections forcing its way to the surface of her mind to overwhelm her into sickness.

Ginny just hoped that she did not hate him as much as her family did. That would make working with him terribly difficult. Ginny did not want to regret contacting Draco Malfoy, especially since she had not told anyone but her assistant about her plans.

The truth was that she did not want to get those closest to her worked up over the possibility of her working with Draco Malfoy if things did not pan out the way it was supposed to.

Grey eyes left the pages of her red file and stared directly at her and Ginny felt a shiver race down her spine. "I don't know you, Mister Malfoy." She licked her lips to try and moisten her suddenly dry mouth. His eyes flickered to her mouth for the briefest of seconds before returning to her face, searching. "However, that hardly matters since I'm not looking to chum up to you but to work with you."

"Draco." Ginny's head shot up in surprise and she felt herself smile when she looked up to meet intense, grey eyes watching her.

The aloof Draco Malfoy had just offered her his first name. The red head couldn't help the thrill that jolted her heart, making her chest expand with excitement.

"Ginny." She said in reply and this time he nodded, his frown fading and he stood up from his place on her desk, pulling up the very chair she had offered him upon his arrival.

"I know." He told her softly and his drawl was unaffected but Ginny could tell that he was trying very hard to achieve such a feat. He was clearly bamboozled and did not know what to make of the situation or her.

Those two words reverberated at the back of her mind though and she tried her best to ignore it and focus on the wizard before her. Ginny nodded as she watched Draco sit down with poise. He was just as slender as the countless of pictures she had seen of him in newspapers but he looked slightly more approachable in person. His face was not set in a haughty look that even moving pictures generally caught of him.

"Did we really hate each other? In school I mean." Ginny could not help asking as she watched him watching her. She felt as if the invisible barrier that had been forcing him to hate her had been broken down. It almost seemed like he had shown sympathy towards her when he had read her file, but her parents had made him out to be a cold hearted reptile.

He looked up at her, studying her as if he did not know what to make of her and how much he should tell her. Then he shrugged slightly. "I disliked you simply because of your name. I did not know enough about you to hate you." He watched her reaction and when she nodded as if that made sense he continued. "I did hate your brother though, Ron, and his friends."

"Yes, I've heard." Ginny said slowly. "Harry and Hermione."

Ginny was becoming intrigued by Draco. He was someone who her family had warned her against. He wasn't someone who she had immediately been told to care for. Like Neville and Luna. As much as she loved her friends, it felt as if she had not chosen them for herself. As if they were extended family that she was stuck with, like Hermione.

Of course her memories of them returned, but in her heart, sometimes Ginny felt like she was rejecting everything her mind showed her. When she saw her memories, it was like looking at pictures depicting stages of someone else's lives. Ginny had never been able to keep the reignited emotions her memories so clearly showed her that she had felt burning. Why it had been so hard for her emotions to kick in and take over, Ginny did not know. She wondered if her lack of feelings had caused her frigidity.

"It says in your file that you remembered nothing. No one." It sounded like Draco was having a difficult time comprehending such a thing.

Ginny nodded. "It was scary. I didn't know who I was and the harder I forced myself to remember the more withdrawn I became. They were scared I would end up like a cabbage at one point." Ginny gave a small laugh here but it was not amused. Not in the least. In fact, her chortle was more to disguise the reality of what could have been. The fear that she had become so empty she might not have been able to exist still haunted her till this day.

"How is it that you didn't then?" Ginny was glad for his blunt tone. She was used to people walking on eggshells around her – except maybe for Luna – too afraid to ask her something traumatic for fear that it might cause Ginny to relapse.

The red head shrugged. "I was greeted by a real stranger the second time 'round. My mind did not fear the Healer and my body remained calm. He eased me into the situation." Ginny watched as Draco studied her and she was surprised that her first meeting with him was straying so far from professionalism and so close to personal.

She always strived to develop a good working relationship with her clients, this however, exceeded sociable and delved into private. However, if this was what it took to earn Draco's trust, then so be it. She had nothing to hide after all, not really.

"I take it your memory hasn't fully returned." He deduced.

Ginny shook her head at this. "There were times when I couldn't even remember how to read or write. I would get so frustrated because I knew I could do it, but my mind would forget. Then there were times when my body just reacted and my mind caught up later. That brought back memories or spending time doing things I've already done with people I already knew helped."

This time Draco surprised her with his comment. "Your memories of me won't be pleasant."

Ginny chose her words carefully. "Honestly, that doesn't bother me. I'm not trying to gain sympathy from you. I just want you to see that without our last names, we're two people who can benefit from my proposal."

"There's just one problem with your proposal." Draco surprised Ginny by saying.

"You've read them then?" Ginny could not disguise the enthusiasm in her voice.

Draco nodded his blonde head, his slicked back hair so perfect not a strand was out of place. Was he always this put together? "I'm not willing to open the Shrieking Shack to the public. It took me years to finally go through the right procedures with the Ministry before I could purchase it."

Ginny bit her lip as she considered this. Part of being a Restorer was dealing with difficult clients; however, there was something so determined about Draco's insistence that she wondered if even she could change his mind.

"What made you desire having it so much?" Ginny decided to figure out why it meant something to him. The more information she gained the better it would be for her to decide which way to go about her job.

"I made use of it in my seventh year. During the War, when the Dark Lord had returned to full power." Grey eyes met Ginny's and there was something so raw about his admission that Ginny could understand his need to hold onto the building. It had been his refuge.

Unfortunately the one thing that inspired raw emotions in Ginny was the War. She would dream about how she had battled for her life and that type of adrenaline and fear was not something she could shake off, even if those were the memories she would not mind forgetting. She would awake in the middle of the night having come face to face with Voldemort himself and that would always leave her terrified and hollow, as if there was always more which she could not place.

Her mother had explained how Ginny had been personally preyed upon by Voldemort in her first year at Hogwarts and how she, Neville and Luna had led a resistance in Hogwarts during her sixth year which brought about such fear and loss. Ginny had the nightmares to know that it was the truth, but there was something else. It was as if every time she dreamt about the War, it was only a façade for something deeper and more traumatic that had happened to her. Her dreams always left her feeling like she was missing a poignant piece of the puzzle, as if she had awoken too soon, too abruptly to understand what was happening.

"Look, all I want is to restore the building to what it once was. I know it was badly damaged by the War and that while you've had it preserved, it isn't the same Shrieking Shack any longer."

This time Malfoy looked at her with a disdainful sneer. "And what Shrieking Shack is that? The one where the Dark Lord almost killed Severus Snape in, or the one where a conflicted seventeen year old boy hid in to keep away from both sides?"

"The one where a hero was born in. The sanctuary of a scared boy who had nowhere else to go. That one." Ginny corrected but was rewarded by a sneer. "It means something to more people than just you and Professor Snape, you know."

Ginny did not want to tell him about Sirius being cleared of his conviction in Harry's eyes in the Shrieking Shack or how Dumbledore had had that place built for Teddy Lupin's father because she did not believe those facts would help the cause. There was no love lost between Draco and the people she cared about.

"For what purpose, Weasley? So that the Ministry can try and lay claim to it again, so that they can turn it into something that needs to be gawked at, simpered at?" The disgust in Draco's voice was clear and Ginny could tell that he did not set much store with their government.

"No. I want it to represent something more than the fear and pain that it currently does. I want it to give something back to those who have lost so much. It's a part of our history. It should not be left to lie there. People were afraid when they thought it was haunted; now they just don't want to be near it because they're terrified to face the memory of Voldemort. The Shrieking Shack is a monument that is always being overshadowed by the darkness that has been exposed in there, instead of it being praised for all the good that it holds within its walls. It should be embraced, not feared."

"There's nothing to gain from a dilapidated building." Draco sneered.

"Then why did you spend so much of gold to acquire it?" When Draco looked up at her sharply, Ginny continued, unperturbed by his dark glare. "It reminds you of the boy you left behind but it shows you who you've become. It's a constant reminder of your strength, not your weakness. You survived. Why should others be deprived of its true symbolism?"

"You're romanticising the building, Weasley. I've seen your work. Your style is too idealistic for a Malfoy." He argued, still fighting.

"I don't doubt that." Ginny agreed and she was pleased when Malfoy looked up at her in surprise and curiosity. "That's why my proposal is so perfect. This restoration to the Shrieking Shack will not reconstruct any part of the building. It will remain the same as it used to be before the War. If by then end of it all you're still unhappy with my vision, then I will bear all the costs and you can do with the Shrieking Shack as you please. If not, I want an equal ownership to the building."

A small smirk lifted one corner of his lips. "Ah, this isn't about the history of the building and what it symbolises, is it?" Draco guessed astutely. "This is personal."

Considering that Ginny had been saving for what felt like her entire life for this moment, and since she planned on investing her personal savings into the restoration of the Shrieking Shack, she decided that the best thing to do now was to be honest with Draco. After all, so far he had afforded her the very same, if a little harshly and unwillingly.

"Partly. Yes, it is personal." She confirmed. Then Ginny pulled open the drawer that had contained her medical information again. This time she pulled out a black file and handed it to Draco. He took it without hesitation, his curiosity clear.

"This is the Shrieking Shack." He looked up at Ginny, grey eyes wide for a change.

Ginny nodded. "For years now I've dreamt about an old building and shaggy setting. I used to get up in the middle of the night and just sit and draw what I had seen in my sleep. I later found out that it was the Shrieking Shack. I want to go inside it. I want to work in it, on it, with it. I think it might just be the key to remembering everything."

There was a long moment of silence where all Ginny could hear was her heavy breathing as she spoke with a greedy passion about the Shrieking Shack. Draco watched her with piercing eyes and Ginny almost whimpered at the suspense he was keeping her in.

"If I am not convinced after you have restored the building, will you stop pestering me?" Draco asked in a business like tone and Ginny knew they were negotiating now.

"Of course." Ginny accepted, sitting up straighter.

"Then, you have three months." Draco said simply before standing up. He adjusted the collars of his dress robes before looking down at Ginny once more. It was almost like he was still taken aback by seeing her. "I'll send you the details in writing. We can meet for the signing and to negotiate any changes you feel necessary."

Ginny stood as well, unable to keep the beaming grin of her face. "Perfect. You won't regret this." Ginny said and this time when she extended her hand to Draco he only hesitated for a brief moment before grasping it with his own.

His fingers were long, they curled around her tiny hand with surprising gentleness and his palm was cool against her own, but there was something almost searing about his touch.

" _I know. I don't think he liked your poem. I know. Are you trying to impress Potter with your riding skills? I know. I know. I know."_

Distant echoes rumbled in the recesses of Ginny's mind and she strained to listen carefully but they were blown away by the present before she had a chance to fully take a hold of them. In reality Ginny heard a jagged breath being indrawn. She was surprised to find that it had not been her who had breathed in sharply, but Draco. She watched as Draco's eyes narrowed before they both pulled back their hands hurriedly. She swallowed, putting her palm behind her, clenching her fists as if she could hold on to whatever his touch had triggered making her mind start to buzz. She felt sweat bead on her upper lip. Had the words she had just heard in her mind really been things that Draco had said to her in the past? She watched as he awkwardly and hurriedly stuffed his hands into his robe pockets and Ginny wondered if he were clenching his fist just as she was.

"Right." He said, but his usual, confident drawl sounded uncertain. Before Ginny could say anything in reply, Draco turned around abruptly and walked briskly out of her office.

Spending time with Draco would bring back her memories of him. She knew this. She just needed to be prepared for the inevitable backlash. He had told her they weren't pleasant occurrences and she believed him. However, he had also told her that he had not known her very well. At least he had not harboured such strong feelings of hatred towards her like he did for Harry, Ron and Hermione.

Ginny convinced herself that this was the right thing to do. She was closer to unlocking the secrets the Shrieking Shack held of hers and if she remembered Draco Malfoy in the process, then so be it. Whoever he used to be, she could handle it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Restoration**

 **Chapter Two**

 **BROWN** eyes glanced up nervously from her office fireplace to the large clock above its mantelpiece. Ginny wiped her palms down the front of her most expensive Muggle jeans, as she took in a deep breath.

She was going to Malfoy Manor and that thought alone excited her. She had never been to the infamous home of the Malfoy's before, but she had heard stories about it, terrible stories that should have frightened her. However, all Ginny could feel was a burning curiosity to see the Manor from within its walls. After all, the Manor was centuries old and she salivated at the thought of the design and structure of the building, its tapestries and all the antiques it was sure to posses.

At first Ginny had been surprised that Draco had requested she meet him at his old home, as opposed to an office he might have in England or a public restaurant where he probably entertained clients. It seemed a touch personal, but the Manor was obviously acres large and Ginny had no doubt that Draco probably had an entire wing which served as an office there.

"Gong."

The clock struck seven and Ginny almost gasped in her nervous state as the soft dong sounded out the hour. It had been five days since her first meeting with Draco and she was even more intrigued to meet him now than when she had been pestering him with her business proposal, as he had put it, for the last year. Ever since that first meeting with him in her office, Ginny's dreams had become plagued by Draco's face. Only, it hadn't been the very same face she had seen the other day. This one was slightly younger looking. A little less attractive. His features were pointier. His sharp bones protruded against the pale skin that was stretched so taut against muscle that Ginny knew the unhealthier images she had seen of him were probably from the days during the War.

From the stories Ginny had heard, Draco and her had been on opposites sides for the most part, which meant they shouldn't have had many reasons to interact during her sixth year. Only her dreams were telling her otherwise. Did this mean that she had had many run inns with him while rebelling against Voldemort? Had they used to fight against each other while fighting for their cause and what each believed in?

Biting her lower lip, Ginny's fingers idly fingered the neat bun at the back of head before she decided that she was ready to go. A day following her first meeting with Draco, he had sent her an owl with the promised written agreement to her proposition attached and a short letter addressed to her. His writing had looked so familiar to Ginny, making her vision blur momentarily and her head swim. Ginny could have sworn she had been transported to a different place, reading a different letter. But then the sensation had passed and she had been left with only a pulsing headache in its wake.

There were no pleasantries, no greetings, no sign at all that they knew each other in his abrupt words. It had just been a brief letter that told her he would be expecting her on the 27th at 7pm at Malfoy Manor to go over the finer details of their agreement. This would be the only time that the floo network from Malfoy Manor would be directly open to her office.

With a determined stride Ginny stepped into her office fireplace. "Malfoy Manor."

Maybe it was her roiling nervousness or her dislike of travelling by floo, but the motion was quick and rough that when Ginny reached the desired fireplace she lost her balance and stumbled forward. Trying to regain her footing on heels was not such a good idea and she ended up flailing. Her palms met cold, marble tiles and her knees protested from her weight. With a groan Ginny pushed herself onto her feet. With pursed lips she righted her black top and dusted off any soot she could find on the deep blue of her jeans. She applauded her wit for wearing such dark clothing.

"You're far less graceful on your feet than you are on a broom." The amused drawl caught Ginny off guard and she looked up sharply to find Draco emerging from the shadows like a lazy cat. His movements were graceful and agile, everything that she had not been.

Ginny felt her cheeks flame but she lifted her chin boldly. "You're just jealous that I'm a much better flyer than you are."

 _It seemed strange to be smiling at a time like this, when everything around them was falling apart, but Ginny couldn't help it. Flying had always filled her with such a sense of freedom, making her come alive from within herself and she felt exhilarated, whole, and happy._

 _The wind whipped around her face, red tendrils of hair stinging her cheek, but she stood there, feet feeling a little like jelly, leaning on her broom and watching a blurry shadow. The figure was approaching her then, black fragments shaped like that of a human …_

"You remember me flying?" Draco's words infiltrated through the images that Ginny had been seeing behind closed lids.

Her eyelids flew open, brown eyes bright and wide as she stared at Draco. She swallowed hard, looking around her. She was standing in the centre of a drawing room in Malfoy Manor. Ginny wasn't outside in a large plot of vacant land covered in pure white snow. Ginny moistened her lips.

"Did we ever fly together?" She asked uncertainly. "Not in a Quidditch match, but just the two of us, maybe?"

Draco took a step towards her and Ginny blinked a few times to rid herself of the vision she had just seen so she could better focus in on his face. He suddenly looked paler than usual. Was there something he wasn't telling her? His grey eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"No." He told her softly. "Is that what you remembered just now?" He queried astutely.

A long silence filled the air between them, both stood staring at one other as if sizing the other up, wondering what it was about each other that riled them up so.

"I don't know." Ginny admitted uncertainly. She shrugged her small shoulders almost defensively.

It was difficult to tell if Draco believed her or not, but it was the truth. She hadn't gotten a clear image of the person she had been flying with in her memories and it was possible that Draco's words had just sparked a forgotten event she had shared with someone else. Ginny met his intense stare with open eyes, almost as if she were imploring him to trust her. There was a spike of pain at her temples and Ginny felt like her surroundings were going to fade again, disappearing so that her mind could be transported into another time, another place, but she fought against it. Ginny did not want to be assaulted with any more memories right now because the last thing she needed was for Draco to think that she was a complete nutcase. That would certainly not make her a suitable business partner.

Draco nodded then, as if silently telling her that he believed her and relief washed over Ginny, loosening her tense muscles. Giving Draco a small smile the red head witch finally took in her surroundings. The drawing room was spacious, thick black curtains with silver embroidery fell across most of one wall, making the room extra dark, even with the many candles in its midst. It could have been described as eerie, but Ginny appreciated the aura of the room. The strong depth of darkness was offset by ostentatious silver vases and magnificent moving paintings, which only intensified the furniture in the room, giving it an enigmatic feel instead of a creepy one. Whoever had designed this particular room in the Manor clearly had good taste.

"This way." Draco said to her suddenly, sounding as if he was feeling uncomfortable by her keen eyes on his home.

Ginny turned towards him but was met with his tall, retreating back, which was ramrod straight. Ginny had to hurry to catch up to Draco but she couldn't help but notice that there was no space for her to walk beside him. Ginny wondered if this was intentional. It wasn't a long walk from the fireplace of the drawing room to a door near a corner of a wall though so Ginny obediently followed him. A bulky mahogany door opened up to reveal a circular room.

The moment Ginny stepped into Draco's office she was lost within its high walls. The rich browns and soft crèmes immediately made Ginny feel relaxed and comfortable, as if she were in a place where children would sit around the fireplace to listen to their parents telling them stories. A floor to ceiling bookshelf took up an entire wall on Ginny's right and its curved structure beckoned the red head forward. She touched the glossy, chestnut wood, feeling a spark of pleasure at its texture before fingering the spines of some of its books. She spun around in glee to find an arched window right next to the fireplace and Ginny could just picture herself sitting on the beautiful crème rug on the wooden floorboards, the warmth of a burning fire on her skin as she watched snowflakes fall outside the window.

With one more twirl Ginny found herself gasping. Her feet carried her towards the enormous portrait sitting on the wall behind Draco's desk without her thinking about it. A woman was flying on a broom, her shoulders hunched as she manoeuvred the handle with merciless concentration. Her legs were kept high up, defining her bottom in a way that could almost be described as sinful. Ginny could understand why such a seductive painting like that would be any wizard's dream to hang up in his office, but there was something so familiar about the brush strokes, about the rich colours used that the painting drew Ginny nearer to it.

Her fingers shook as she reached up and placed it against the woman's dark tresses, lashing out behind her like waves from the wind she flew with, more beautiful than the starry backdrop she was painted against. Was the artist Artemis Grock or Sophia Boudoir?

"Sophia Boudoir." The lazy drawl answered the question in her mind and it was only then that Ginny remembered she wasn't alone in the room.

Ginny turned around slowly, eyes downcast in embarrassment before she finally met his grey gaze. If she expected to see anger or annoyance in his piercing eyes, at being overlooked for so long, then she was wrong. Instead he was watching her with a look full of surprise and amusement.

"It was either her or Artemis Grock." Ginny told him, trying to steer the conversation away from how engrossed in his office she had been. Draco was not to be swayed though.

"I'm uncertain you would have remembered I was here if I hadn't spoken up." If Ginny knew him better, she would have guessed that Draco was teasing her. But that couldn't be right. Could it? Draco's humour seemed dry and sarcastic; surely he couldn't be laughing at something he would call unsophisticated gawking.

"I'm sorry." Ginny said sincerely. "I just can't help myself. Every time I enter a room or building I become immersed in its details. It's as if it makes me feel whole again." Realising how telling her last statement was Ginny cleared her throat when Draco raised a pale eyebrow at her. She wrung her fingers in front of her and shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another.

Draco nodded, hiding his expression behind a goblet which he brought to his lips and thankfully not pursuing the uncomfortable subject any further. That was thoughtful and sensitive of him and it most definitely didn't fit the loathsome way her family and friends described him. He was standing at a canister in one corner of the room and upon her arrival Ginny could see why it had been so easy to miss. It was almost a miniscule touch in the grandeur of the room but somehow it fit beautifully the more she looked at it, convincing Ginny more that it was a room for a family and not a bachelor.

Moving the drink away from his lips Draco nodded as if he understood her passion. "Would you like a drink?" He offered, showing her his goblet. Was that real rubies encrusted on the rim? Ginny felt her head spin.

Ginny shook her head, alcohol was the last thing she needed right now, when her senses were already feeling overwhelmed. "No, I'm fine. Thank you."

Draco nodded his blonde head again before motioning towards his desk. "Let's begin then."

Ginny nodded as well before waiting for Draco to come closer towards her and take his place behind his desk before she sat in the chair across from him. Ginny appreciated the plush material of the cushioned seat and felt her muscles happily relax against it.

"Right." Draco began in a no-nonsense tone. "I take it you have read through the agreement I've sent you?" His voice was clear, concise and Ginny knew he had switched into full on business mode.

"Yes." She pulled out her wand and a miniature scroll from her jean pocket before enlargening it. From his side drawer Ginny watched as Draco pulled out a similar looking scroll.

"Go ahead then, what does not meet with your approval?" There was undeniably a hint of amusement in his voice and Ginny raised and auburn eyebrow at this.

"How do you know I have suggestions?" She asked defiantly.

The blonde snorted. "I doubt you would be worth your weight in gold, truly successfully and highly recommended if you did not have any … _suggestions_."

Ginny allowed a small smile at his words. It might have been mocking but it sounded like a backhanded compliment and so she took no offense from it. Clearly he had done his research on her.

"All right then. Firstly, I have my own team that I generally work with, the best in my field. However, considering this project is slightly different to the rest, I am willing to compromise. Half of the required employees will be mine and the other half yours. I will give you full portfolios on possible candidates and I expect you do to the same. The final decision will be made by the both of us."

Draco watched her carefully. He was leaning back into his chair now, one elbow propped up on his forearm, his index finger running across his full lips. He lowered his hands before sitting forward again.

"That seems reasonable." He made to amend his own scroll with a green feathered quilt that sat neatly in an ink pot on one corner of his large desk and Ginny was pleased to find her own contract being magically adjusted as well. Ginny inwardly squealed that he had accepted her first change so easily. It showed that he at least respected her opinion if not trusted it completely.

"Thank you." She said graciously and without looking up at her he rolled his right hand in the air for her to continue and so she did. "I agree that all restoration plans, materials used and designs need to be passed by you first; however, I would like an amendment to the clause. In case of duress or time constraints and a split-second decision needs to be made; I get to make the call."

This time Draco took longer to answer her. His eyes narrowed as he inspected her. "As long as the decision does not affect the state of the building in any way and there are no modifications done to the scheme of the original set-up of the Shrieking Shack, such as no extra furniture is to be added and the ones that are inside are only to be repaired, not replaced, then I will allow it."

Ginny could tell that every single detail of the old building meant a lot to him and as a Restorer, she could understand that. "Fair enough." Ginny agreed.

Her smile widened because she was thoroughly pleased that his requests were far from unreasonable and happy that things were getting on smoothly. Deciding that maybe this would be the ideal opportunity to bring up the one point she knew would be almost impossible to get Draco to agree on, Ginny dove right in.

"I would like you to reconsider opening up the building for public viewing." Ginny said forthrightly. He had made his feelings on this perfectly clear but she was willing to negotiate.

However, Ginny was not surprised when she saw Draco's head shake firmly. "That is non-negotiable. The next point."

"But – "

"I said no." Ginny jerked back slightly at the harshness of his tone. Draco did not look up at her but she could see his fingers whiten as he gripped his quill harder and his shoulders tense at her suggestion.

"All right, fine." Ginny said softly, accepting defeat for now. "But if you will not open it up for public viewing, then at least allow me to document the process. All I'm asking for is pictures of the Shrieking Shack before and after the restoration. People deserve that much and you can't keep this project a secret from the public. By giving them some access to such an historic site you can avoid determined reporters." Ginny could tell that he was not happy about this but she turned large, pleading eyes on him. "Please, Draco."

It was the first time she had used his given name but there was nothing uncomfortable or wrong about the way it felt when she said it. It slipped off her tongue like a well used word. However Ginny could tell that it surprised Draco when his head reared up and his facial features tightened. A muscle ticked in his angled jaw and she was certain he would revoke the permission he had given her to call him by his first name. He stared at her with something akin to irritation mixed with discomfort. Yet he did no such thing.

"Fine." He huffed impatiently and Ginny wanted to jump in her seat. "Is that all then?" His voice was gruff.

"No, one last thing." When she watched him roll his eyes at her, Ginny could not help but think that maybe he had just been testing her all along. Draco had probably foreseen all her changes and purposely drew up the contract the way he had.

"Which is?" He asked in an almost long suffering voice and Ginny grinned up at him, unable to contain her enthusiasm any longer. Soon she would get to work on the one building she had been coveting for as long as she could remember being alive, for professional and personal reasons.

"I have no problem with reporting to you weekly. However, I'm very involved in my projects and I believe my work speaks for itself. Therefore I would prefer it if you came down to the Shrieking Shack at the end of every week so I can show you the progress I've made instead of just telling you about it."

She watched as Draco shrugged his broad shoulders at this request. "If I can be there, then I will." His tone did not seem as if he was trying to get out of the amendment and Ginny understood that he was a very busy man who probably couldn't make trips to England every weekend.

He wrote on their matching parchment one last time and then signed his with a flourish. Ginny watched the elegant script form on the line above his full name on her parchment. Everything about Draco Malfoy was so elegant. Well defined. Beautiful.

Draco passed her his quill and she took it to sign her own small writing on the line next to his. "Congratulations." Draco said softly and he leaned back in his chair, hands resting lazily on the plush armrests of his seat.

Ginny grinned up at him, shoulders sagging in relief. "Thank you."

He was watching her appraisingly and Ginny felt as if she had just made her proudest deal yet. "Why would you believe the Shrieking Shack is important to all your memories returning?"

Ginny had not expected the question and it took her by surprise. Was he really interested in the answer? She sat up straighter again. "I told you that I dreamt about it for months on end after my coma and when I finally confided my dreams I was told that the place I was describing and drawing was the Shrieking Shack. I believe it holds some piece of the missing puzzle that has become my memory. Even if no one remembers me being there before."

"Not many people alive know what the Shack looks like from the inside. People believed the tales of it being haunted for decades." Draco said.

Ginny knew what he was leading up to. He wanted to know who had told her that this was the place she had been seeing in her dreams. "Harry, Ron and Hermione have been inside."

Draco nodded, a disdainful sneer on his face. "Of course."

Ginny was uncertain but she had the distinct feeling that he wanted to say more, as if he wasn't quite used to holding back when it came to insulting her friends and family. Considering the hostility her family reserved for Draco alone, Ginny decided that she did not want to pursue the sore subject either. She wanted him to trust her and she didn't think that getting into an argument with him over her family now was the best way to go.

"I'm surprised you wanted to have this meeting in the Manor." She commented offhandedly to redirect the conversation. In reality she was also itching to get up and explore the place.

Again he stared at her piercingly. "Without Ministry approval, I am not really allowed to be in England."

Ginny's eyes widened at this. "What do you mean?"

His grey eyes narrowed at her as if trying to sense if she was making a fool of him. "You really do not know?"

"Know what?" Ginny felt that familiar sensation of frustration creep through her stomach whenever she was asked that question. She had lost her bloody memory, of course there was a lot of things she didn't know.

It might have been her very annoyed tone or Draco remembering her situation because he nodded in response. "Well, considering it isn't public knowledge I can forgive you your ignorance."

Ginny rolled her brown eyes at Draco's satire. "How generous of you." She muttered under her breath and she was awarded with a wolfish smirk that could only be described as wicked.

"One of the conditions for my family being pardoned of our War crimes and evading Azkaban was our partial exile from the country." His tone was flat, as if this little fact didn't bother him, but from the tense way his features were kept, Ginny could tell that Draco hated his exile.

Ginny's eyes widened and she sat up straighter in shock. "But you're here now. You own the Shrieking Shack. You have stakes in so many businesses in the wizarding community."

Draco gave her a humourless half smile. "The Ministry has never been opposed to accepting my wealth. As you're aware of why the Shrieking Shack was built, the Ministry did not care about the dilapidated building that brought only bad memories to them. It wasn't very difficult getting them to sell it to me."

Ginny's nose scrunched up at this fact. "I hate politics." She muttered.

She understood that the consequences of the Malfoy's actions could not go unpunished but there were many more people who had committed equally grave sins who were now left to roam their streets. She had never heard of any others being exiled, but then again, she hadn't known about the Malfoys ban before now either. It was something that Ginny would have to look into.

His face relaxed somewhat. "Yet you're so immersed in it."

Ginny gave him a rueful smile. There was something so easy about the way she was speaking to Malfoy. Maybe it was the fact that, like he had said, he did not know her at all and that he truly did not expect her to be someone that she could no longer remember being. He just saw her and accepted that this was who she was, even if he was sometimes taken aback by her characteristics.

"Yes, well, unfortunately my work has its downsides to it, but I can put up with it." She watched Draco give her an understanding nod and she felt more at ease in his company again. "So, did you have to get special permission to be here today?" She asked curiously, understanding why he had not fully agreed to her last request now.

Draco looked up at her and there was something almost mischievous about the spark that glinted in his steel coloured eyes. It made him look younger. "Since my father's retirement I'm allowed to visit the Manor to check up on it from time to time. That doesn't require Ministry approval, only being out in public does."

Suddenly something crossed Ginny's mind. "What about your meeting with me the other day? Did you need Ministry approval for that?"

A devilish smirk graced his full lips and Ginny's eyebrows raised at this. "The thing about the Ministry is that it's run by a bunch of baboons."

Ginny could see traces of arrogance and pomposity in his demeanour for the first time since she had met him, reminding her of the stories people had told her about him. Yet she was not put off by it because it seemed fairly innocent. Having no memory of herself and where she had come from for such a long time, Ginny could empathise with how it must feel for Draco to be banned from everything he had ever known and held dear to him. Instead she felt pleased for his slight rebelliousness.

"I should take offense to that." Ginny told him in amusement. "Most of my family and friends work at the Ministry."

"You should." He said candidly and Ginny laughed softly.

"You really do despise my family don't you?" Ginny stated and at this he leaned forward conspiratorially, elbows on the desk, fingers intertwined before him.

"Why doesn't that piss you off? Where is the self righteous anger at my insults and your demands for me to respect your family?" His gaze was the most curious she had ever seen him. Grey eyes piercing and Ginny was afraid he would be able to see her every dark secret in that moment.

"I don't know." Ginny replied softly and sincerely. She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, trying not to give away her vulnerability.

Although, Draco seemed to see right through her. "Yes, you do." He contradicted and Ginny could not look away from those grey eyes. If she did, he would know she was lying.

"Possibly." It was smaller than a whisper. The scent of cotton and spice was so close to her again and she did not realise that she was leaning in too. Her elbows were also on the table, her face in her palms.

"You're hiding." His voice was also lowered now and the candlelight across the room flickered, his face cast in shadows for a moment. "From everyone. From yourself."

Ginny swallowed. Why did those words sound so familiar to her? Unable to come up with a response to his probing questions Ginny decided to turn the conversation around on him. "You told me you didn't know me well before."

He watched her closer still. His cold eyes roved over her face and she wondered whether he was trying to reconcile the face he was seeing now with the one he had glimpsed back at school. What differences could he see that even she could not pick out now?

"I'm seeing you now." His words made something twist in Ginny's gut. Was it fear or anticipation? Her head felt heavy. Her vision clouded and it was almost as if she was about to drown in her past, uncover a new memory. Yet for the first time since her memory loss, Ginny wasn't quite ready. The present moment was so very intense, completely engrossing, that Ginny did not want to forsake it for the past.

"Am I different from how I used to be then?" She was not sure why she was asking him. He had not known her all that well, how would he be able to tell. However Ginny waited with bated breath, feeling as if someone else's opinion would mean something more to her than the biased ones of all those who thought the world about her.

He answered her after only a momentary pause. "Yes." His reply sounded certain, as if there wasn't a doubt in his mind.

Ginny couldn't help it, she leaned in closer, trying to decipher what he was telling her. Maybe if she looked deeper, stared into his eyes longer, she would be able to place him. Remember him.

There was a pounding headache forming at the base of her skull but her heart sped up and her body trembled with anticipation. There were memories of him at the forefront of her mind but she couldn't see them. They were shrouded by darkness.

"How?" She asked simply. He was still staring at her.

It was as if he was also trying to remember her, to conjure up their past meetings in his mind. When he did not answer Ginny reached for his hand. She wasn't quite sure why she did that, why her fingers grazed the back of his hard knuckles before trailing down his very long fingers, but she did. The notion seemed familiar, she did it without thinking, like when she mounted a broom and took off on it instinctively. The touch was fleeting but mesmerizing, an action spurred on by instinct. It was a mistake though because as soon as her fingers brushed his, Draco's hand recoiled and he stood up so abruptly, his chair fell over.

Only Ginny wasn't seeing that. Unable to contain the darkness creeping in through the corners of her eyes and the pain piercing through her temples, her present faded as her mind withdrew into itself. Images took shape in her head but they were distorted. Draco was close to her, closer than he had been moments ago.

" _Don't." The denying word did not make any sense to her given their situation._

" _Liar." She was challenging him._

" _You're a fool." His growl was low and throaty. He took a threatening step towards her and she knew if she valued her life she would run. Her legs did not heed her mind's warning though._

" _I am." Ginny agreed._

"We're done here. I will owl you with dates for when I am available to set up the team." Ginny blinked owlishly as she brought the present Draco back into focus.

She had recovered a memory of him but it was so jumbled up that she could not make proper sense of it. They had been arguing. Only Ginny hadn't been afraid or angry in her memory, it had been as if she was challenging him, enticing him.

Why were her memories of Draco so distorted? Normally when she uncovered something from her past they would be as clear as day to her, as if she were experiencing the situation all over again, reliving an event. Only this time it was as if her mind was refusing to let her remember him. She was struggling with the concept. The pain she was feeling also felt ten thousand times worse than the pain she normally felt when assaulted with a new memory. It was as if her mind was playing tricks on her, giving her glimpses of Draco and then taking the memory away from her all over again.

Ginny nodded and rose slowly from her chair, not wanting to topple over with the woozy way she was feeling. She noticed that Draco had already made his way towards his office door and had opened it. He was waiting impatiently for her to leave. It was as if he could not get rid of her fast enough. He had told her that her memories of him would not be pleasant, was he feeling ashamed about the events that had transpired between them now? Somehow Ginny couldn't imagine a man as proud and headstrong as Draco feeling embarrassed over his younger self.

Ginny walked towards the door and when she stood in the entryway she could not help but look at the tall man standing beside her. She wanted to say something but no words came out. She licked her lips, a habit when she was nervous, and his eyes followed the motion before he hurriedly stepped aside from the door and walked back into his office. Feeling strangely deflated that their meeting had ended off on such a poor note, Ginny sighed.

She looked over her shoulder and noticed that Draco was now standing at the arched window in his office. His presence was stiff and unapproachable. More pain assaulted her head and Ginny gripped the doorframe for support. Before she could blackout in Draco's office, Ginny decided that leaving would definitely be the best option for her now. She walked out and into the drawing room where she quickly made her way towards the fireplace.


End file.
